Premium
STIMULUS CONTROL OF RESPONDING DURING A FIXED‐INTERVAL REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE 1
Author(s) -
Wilkie Donald M.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.1974.21-425
Subject(s) - reinforcement , blackout , stimulus (psychology) , excitatory postsynaptic potential , psychology , stimulus control , schedule , audiology , communication , neuroscience , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , computer science , social psychology , cognitive psychology , physics , medicine , power (physics) , electric power system , quantum mechanics , nicotine , operating system
During training sessions, pecks by pigeons on a response key illuminated by a vertical line of white light resulted in reinforcement and an ensuing blackout according to a fixed‐interval schedule. Training sessions were followed by dimensional stimulus control test sessions during which the orientation of the line present throughout the fixed interval was varied. Inverted U‐shaped (excitatory) gradients of responding, with maximum responding occurring in the presence of the vertical line, were observed during the terminal part of the fixed interval. U‐shaped (inhibitory) gradients of responding, with minimum responding occurring in the presence of the vertical line, were observed during the early part of the fixed interval when the preceding interval had terminated with reinforcement and blackout but not when the preceding interval had terminated with blackout only. These results suggest that the dimensional control by the stimulus present throughout the fixed interval is of a conditional variety. Whether the fixed‐interval stimulus exerts inhibitory or excitatory dimensional control depends upon the presence and absence, respectively, of stimuli associated with reinforcement.